


Shaving Cream

by PlaidIsTheBestPattern



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Coda, Gen, Just Sam being a good brother, Mentions of Nesting Dean, No Wincest, POV Sam Winchester, Post-Episode: s14e03 The Scar, Sam Winchester's Season 14 Angst Beard, Sam shaves, Sam’s grief beard, s14e04 Mint Condition
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-02
Updated: 2018-11-02
Packaged: 2019-08-16 15:48:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 711
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16498466
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PlaidIsTheBestPattern/pseuds/PlaidIsTheBestPattern
Summary: If it will make Dean feel a little more normal, Sam will shave his beard.





	Shaving Cream

Sam stands in front of the bathroom mirror, fog still covering it from the shower he just took. He reaches up gingerly, wipes the mist away. 

His own reflection looks back at him, and his lips turn down a little sadly as he thinks of what he’s about to do. 

He likes the beard. It’s nice not to have to shave so often, and he thinks it suits him. The hunters in the bunker seem to think so as well—Jody liked it too. 

But the beard bothers Dean.  

Sam can guess why he supposes. Dad raised them to care for their appearance and hygiene like military men. That means teeth finely brushed and flossed, hair combed and shorn short (Sam’s longer hair was a battle with Dad), daily showers, clean and neat clothes, and most of all, facial hair shaved—every day. 

It made sense when they were teenagers—no one wants to see a pimply kid with patchy peach fuzz poking out in an unattractive swarm. But they’re men now, and Sam, it seems, can grow a nice beard. 

However, it’s been so engrained for so many years to do it, that it usually comes second nature to each of them to pick up a razor each morning and shave. So when they don’t... it usually means that something’s wrong. 

Sam is reminded of Dean’s occasionally scruffier than usual appearance during the ordeal after Purgatory, and the trials, and the Mark of Cain. How Dean was... down, and it seemed maybe shaving everyday, every so often, was just too much for him. 

Dean probably recognizes the same thing in Sam now, but doesn’t want to say it. And the truth is, Sam kinda did... yeah—he kinda did have other priorities. Shaving seemed unimportant while Dean was missing—being possessed by an archangel, having who knows what done to his mind while Sam tossed and turned at night and thought about it, vaguely nauseous for his brother for weeks and barely able to eat. 

And Dean is a worrier—most of all for his brother. He needs to feel that Sam is okay to feel okay himself. So it makes since that the beard bothers him. 

And now Dean is back. And even though Dean readily admits he isn’t okay, the roiling nausea and sleepless nights have tapered off with his return. So it isn’t a burden to do it. Sam should shave. 

He looks disappointedly at his reflection. Reaches up, strokes the hair on his chin. 

The problem is, the beard has grown on him (in more ways than one). It makes him feel... bigger. More confident. Different. A small smile curls back at him. 

But maybe that’s also the problem: Being different. 

Dean has been holed up in his room for a week now, ever since the debacle with Kaia. He avoids the other hunters in their midst by living in his room, and only emerges for food. He shuffles into the kitchen in sweat pants, socks, a T-shirt and his dead guy robe, and shuffles back out as quickly and quietly as possible, barely muttering greetings to him or Cas if he sees them, and outright ignoring anyone he doesn’t know. Sam has heard Scooby Doo reruns coming from his room more than once over the last few days. 

Clearly, Dean is craving the comforts of home and familiar things. 

Only, the bunker is full of people Dean doesn’t know, who call Sam “Chief,” and Dean has a new scar—a permanent reminder of Michael, who could come back at any point to try and make Dean his vessel again, and is trying to take over the world, and Jack has lost his powers and is sick, and Cas is weaker than usual, and Mom might have some weird something going on with alternate universe Bobby, and Dean feels like he was drowning for weeks, and his brother now has a beard. 

Sam sighs and picks his shaving cream up off the ledge of the sink, eyes his razor. 

Yes, he likes the beard. But if shaving it off will help Dean feel a little more settled about Sam’s well-being, and a little more normal, it’ll just have to go.  

Sam slathers on some shaving cream. 


End file.
